Chimp attack victim: Prays Conn. case will proceed

Charla Nash sits before a hearing at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Conn., Friday, Aug. 10, 2012. Nash who was mauled in a 2009 chimpanzee attack is attending a hearing to determine whether she may sue the state for $150 million in claimed damages. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The woman mauled by a chimpanzee three years ago says she hopes and prays a state official will ultimately grant her request to sue the state of Connecticut, which she holds responsible for not seizing the animal.

Charla Nash attended a hearing Friday before the Claims Commissioner on a motion filed by the state to dismiss Nash's claim. She's seeking permission to sue the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for $150 million in damages.

Her attorney, Charles Willinger, says Nash is accruing millions of dollars in bills for everything from nursing home care to about 17 medications.

Nash, who underwent a face transplant in 2011, told reporters she hopes the commissioner "will give me my day in court." She says life is hard, but she's thankful to be alive.